Tuesday, April 12, 2011

World's Best Minestrone

I love minestrone soup. There used to be a restaurant in town called Sylvia's and they had the best minestrone EVER. I would dream about that soup. Seriously. It was that good. But then they closed. And I mourned the loss. Then, when I was pregnant with The Kid, a girlfriend of mine gave me a recipe for it. I've tweaked it a bit over the years and now, it's right up there with Sylvia's. And since they're no longer in business, I can claim mine as the world's best.

It makes a TON, so invite some extra mouths to the table. Or freeze some. Or eat it for two days like we do. It's always better the next day anyway.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.

Here's my super secret, never wash a garlic press ever ever ever again, tip of the day: Microplane. Once you have one, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Use it for grating garlic and ginger. Use it to zest citrus fruit. Use it to grate hard cheeses. I'm telling you, this tool is my best friend in the kitchen. LOVE it. There's all kinds out there. I have two - one has bigger holes than the other.

My Story

At the most recent head count, my house consisted of The Mom (that would be me), The Dad, The Kid, The Girl, Baby, The Dog (in spirit), The Cat,The Tortoise, The Parakeet, The Fish, and Libby Lou (The Puppy). I am completely obsessed with gardening, cooking and cheese. If I was a superhero, my name would be The Rearranger. Saving the world, one knick knack at a time. I'm a 40-year-old SAHM with a stockpile of photos and a head full of ideas, ahem, ramblings. Welcome to my life.